Life has slowed only a bit for Luyendyk

Arie Luyendyk won the Indianapolis 500 twice, including in 1990. This year he served as a coach for one of the rookie drivers.

By Dave Kallmann of the Journal Sentinel

Published on: 6/7/2011

Talk about your classic what-if stories.

If Arie Luyendyk had not been featured in a story in a Michigan International Speedway program in 1981, he may never have connected with Aat Groenevelt, a fellow Dutchman.

If Luyendyk hadn't met Groenevelt, he wouldn't have become part of an extended second family in the Milwaukee area.

He wouldn't have had a sponsor, his racing career in America would have stalled out at the Super Vee level and the list of two-time Indianapolis 500 winners would look significantly different.

"Aat's brother Erik, he was reading this article about me in the program, about this Dutch guy racing in the USA, so he decided to come look me up," said Luyendyk, 57.

"It was like (Aat) became my American dad. He saved my career and made my career, and he was also a friend of mine."

Among Groenevelt's business interests was Provimi Veal, a meat processing company through which he sponsored cars driven by Derek Daly and Tony Bettenhausen Jr.

Luyendyk, a champion in the Netherlands, came to the United States in 1981 and he spent his first couple of years commuting to race in Super Vee, then the training ground for hopeful drivers aspiring to a career in Indy cars and the Indianapolis 500.

But by mid-1982 he had become disillusioned. Luyendyk's cars were breaking down regularly, and he wasn't sure what his next move would be when he dropped out of the race at Road America in Elkhart Lake. Afterward he visited the Groenevelts.

"Being a little bit desperate the way I was then, I said, 'I have nothing going on anymore and no outlook on anything. So maybe if you sponsor me, I will,'" Luyendyk recalled. "I just kind of threw it out there.

"He knew I had to go home the next day, he says, 'Why don't you go home and then come back next week and we'll fly you over and we'll talk it over.'

"They decided to buy a car and run me in a few races in '83. Then he said, 'You're in charge. Here's a budget. You go buy the equipment and hire the people.'"

Luyendyk packed up wife Mieke, son Arie Jr. and daughter Maida, moved from the Netherlands to Brookfield and ran a three-man team out of a Groenevelt-owned hangar at the Waukesha County Airport.

In the third race of the season, on the mile at State Fair Park, Luyendyk scored his first victory in the United States, and the Provimi Veal team went on to win the title. Luyendyk also made his Indy-car debut that July, subbing for Bettenhausen in the Provimi Veal 200 at Road America. He finished eighth.

Luyendyk went full-time into Indy cars for 1985 and carried Provimi sponsorship to teams owned by Bettenhausen, Ron Hemelgarn and Dick Simon.

"It was so cool that although Aat became American and so did Erik, in their heart and soul they were real Dutch people," Luyendyk said. "He had quite a few Dutch people working for him. We always got together at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it was like one big family."

When Groenevelt moved to Palm Springs, Calif., he implored Luyendyk to do the same. In the off-season between 1989 and '90, Luyendyk followed to warmer climates but chose the Phoenix area as a cheaper alternative.

He continued to visit with Groenevelt and his family regularly and still stays in contact with Groenevelt's three daughters as well as a few other friends from the Milwaukee area.

Luyendyk's first year out of Milwaukee was also his first year with Doug Shierson Racing, a season highlighted by a 10-second victory over Bobby Rahal in what stands as the fastest Indy 500 (185.981 mph, slowed for two cautions). Luyendyk led the final 32 laps in a car that carried a small Provimi decal on the side of the cockpit.

"We had a good homecoming in 1990 when we came back to the race in Milwaukee after Indy," Luyendyk said. Groenevelt threw a huge party at the Red Circle Inn, a restaurant in Nashotah that he owned.

Pulled in all sorts of directions after the 500, Luyendyk didn't fully appreciate his accomplishment until a few weeks later.

"I was all by myself at my friend's home," he said. "I watched the video and actually relaxed and that's when it sunk in, yeah, that's pretty damn cool."

Luyendyk went on to win two more times in the CART series and recorded four victories in the IndyCar Series once it split off for 1996.

His reputation, though, came from a smooth, easy style that worked so well at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a track that punishes drivers for even small mistakes at 220 mph.

Luyendyk won three pole positions there, set the all-time qualifying record with a four-lap average of 237.498 mph and added a second and a third before beating teammate Scott Goodyear in 1997.

"When I sat on the pole in '97, (Groenevelt) called me and said, 'You know, just to bring you good luck, we'll put the Provimi name on the side of the cockpit where it was in 1990,'" Luyendyk said. "He thought it would be really neat, and it worked out that way."

Luyendyk retired after 1999 - he crashed out of the 500 after leading a race-high 67 laps - but decided to try again from 2001-'03. A crash in practice prevented Luyendyk from qualifying for Indy in 2003, and he was done.

Groenevelt died in 2005, the same year as Luyendyk's father, Jaap, "a race nut" who had encouraged his son to race and to move to the United States.

"I never really had any full-time job, so to speak, in any area since I quit racing, but I always had off-and-on jobs," Luyendyk said.

He spent time at home, helping Mieke raise Alec and Luca, twins who are now 17.

Luyendyk has worked as a television analyst and continues to do some public appearances.

He served as a coach for numerous drivers, including rookie Charlie Kimball in the 500 last month. That was a three-week project that also included driving his 1990 Indy-winning car before the start of the 100th anniversary 500.

Luyendyk also helped put deals together for Arie Jr., spent considerable time attending his son's races and briefly owned a team that competed in Indy Lights and got Arie Jr. into the 2006 Indy 500.

"In retrospect I don't think I spent enough time with him trying to develop a sponsorship business plan, but there comes a point that becomes a tedious job," Luyendyk said. "He's a really good driver, especially on the ovals. And he hasn't given up on racing."

Arie Sr. hasn't either, completely.

At the suggestion of former Formula One and Indy-car driver Mark Blundell, Luyendyk will get his first opportunity to race on the fabled Spa-Francorchamps road circuit in Belgium, not far from his hometown in the Netherlands.

He'll be part of the 12-man, three-car United Autosports team racing Audi R8s in the 24-hour sports-car endurance race in late July. Luyendyk put in 20-some laps there in May, will test at Donington Park in Leicestershire, England, next week and compete at Spa from July 28-31, a month before the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix.

"I wouldn't call it a coming out of retirement, although it's a pretty cool deal," he said. "Of the 12 guys, it's older guys like me, Stefan Johansson, Mark Blundell, Eddie Cheever and Johnny Herbert. Then there's the owners...(and) a couple of guys that pay for the ride.

"They want to create some legend aspect to it, so they hired a bunch of old guys like us. Old guys that still know how to drive fast."

"Where Are They Now?" is a monthly feature catching up with Wisconsin sports figures from the past. Look for it the second Wednesday of every month.